As soon as those words left his lips, Ruan Xingzhuo’s body swayed unconsciously.
He raised his arms and hugged Ruan Xingyao, burying his face into the crook of her neck.
After a long while, Ruan Xingzhuo’s muffled voice finally came out, “You’ll always be my sister!”
It took another long moment before he finally let go of her.
On Ruan Xingyao’s shoulder, a patch was already damp.
It was from the tears Ruan Xingzhuo had secretly shed.
Ruan Xingyao, however, was completely unaware of it.
The strong liquor, with its high proof, came rushing in like a storm.
Ruan Xingyao was now fully drunk.
Her body swayed, and she was about to collapse onto the floor.
You Huan cried out, “Xingxing!”
Quick as lightning, Ruan Xingzhuo caught her and steadied her.
He told You Huan, “I’ll carry her back to her room. You grab a towel to wipe her face.”
You Huan nodded, pointed to Ruan Xingyao’s room, and said, “Xingxing sleeps in that one.”
With that, she hurried ahead into the room, went to the bathroom, soaked a towel, and gently wiped Ruan Xingyao’s face and hands.
Ruan Xingyao had already fallen into a deep sleep, though she seemed uncomfortable.
So You Huan said to Ruan Xingzhuo, “Ruan Xingzhuo, you go out first. I’ll wipe her down and help her change clothes.”
She was drenched in sweat—it would be impossible to sleep well like that.
Ruan Xingzhuo nodded and turned to leave the room.
You Huan carefully undressed Ruan Xingyao, wiped her body thoroughly with the towel, dressed her in clean pajamas, tucked her in with the blanket, and adjusted her pillow higher to prevent reflux that might choke her.
She also adjusted the air conditioner’s temperature to make sure Ruan Xingyao would be comfortable—cool but not cold.
After finishing all this, You Huan finally came out of the room.
Ruan Xingzhuo, who had been sitting on the sofa in the living room, immediately stood up when he heard movement.
He looked at You Huan with concern and asked, “How’s my sister?”
He wanted to go inside and check.
You Huan walked closer, making sure to keep her voice low so as not to disturb Ruan Xingyao, and said, “She’s asleep. I’ll check on her again later.”
Ruan Xingzhuo gazed at You Huan with gratitude and said, “Thank you, You Huan.”
You Huan sat down on the sofa, poured herself a glass of water, and gulped down more than half of it before looking back at Ruan Xingzhuo.
She hesitated, clearly with many questions, but didn’t know how to put them into words.
Ruan Xingzhuo, seeing this, sat down again.
He said, “I know what you want to ask. I don’t know what happened either. When I woke up, it was already like this. I don’t know why, but she is my sister—that will never change.”
Looking at the resolute expression on Ruan Xingzhuo’s face, You Huan’s grip on the glass in her hands tightened.
After a long while, she finally said, “Ruan Xingzhuo, maybe what I’m about to say will sound really nasty, but can you try to understand me?”
Ruan Xingzhuo more or less guessed what she was going to ask.
He nodded and said, “Alright, go ahead.”
You Huan lowered her lashes, inwardly cursing herself for such vile, shameful thoughts.
After a long pause, she finally spoke slowly, “Ruan Xingzhuo, will you… ever fall for Xingxing?”
Once the words were out, You Huan simply decided to throw caution to the wind and lifted her head to look at Ruan Xingzhuo.
Meeting his gaze, she felt an even stronger wave of self-loathing rise within her.
But now that she knew Ruan Xingyao was no longer truly Ruan Xingyao, it was possible that Ruan Xingzhuo’s feelings might also change.
Ruan Xingzhuo said, “No.”
You Huan’s eyes instantly lit up, but only a few seconds later they dimmed again.
Not falling for Xingxing didn’t necessarily mean he would fall for her.
Ruan Xingzhuo paid no mind to what she was thinking and simply continued, “She’s my sister—she’ll always just be my sister.”
You Huan said, “Then… from now on, can you put me first?”
Ruan Xingzhuo felt a bit helpless.
To that question, he truly had no way of giving her an answer.
After waiting in vain for Ruan Xingzhuo’s reply, You Huan felt disappointed, but she quickly comforted herself.
She said, “Alright, I’m not trying to pressure you. You don’t need to dwell on it.”
Saying that, You Huan stood up. “I’ll go check on Xingxing.”
Ruan Xingzhuo also rose and followed her.
Inside the room, Ruan Xingyao was sound asleep, but it was a restless sleep.
Even in slumber, her mood was poor—tears were slipping down her face unconsciously, soaking most of her pillow.
Seeing this, You Huan immediately said, “I’ll go grab the pillow from my room. Later I’ll have someone send over a fresh one.”
Ruan Xingzhuo nodded. “Thank you, You Huan.”
After changing Ruan Xingyao’s pillow, the two of them quietly stepped out of the room.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
You Huan was about to open the door, but Ruan Xingzhuo stopped her.
He said, “I’ll get it. You should rest.”
You Huan didn’t think much of it and simply nodded, but instead of resting, she returned to Ruan Xingyao’s room.
Ruan Xingzhuo opened the door—standing outside were Xie Lin and Chen Yu.
Xie Lin asked, “Yaoyao, how is she? Can I go see her?”
Ruan Xingzhuo didn’t let them in.
He stepped forward, closing the door behind him.
He looked at Xie Lin and Chen Yu with a scowl and said, “My sister is asleep. Don’t disturb her.”
He didn’t tell Xie Lin and Chen Yu that Ruan Xingyao was drunk—and that she had been drinking alone, stewing in her feelings.
Seeing Ruan Xingzhuo’s expression, Xie Lin immediately realized that Ruan Xingyao’s condition might be serious, which made him even more anxious.
He said, “Xiao Zhuo, I still want to see Xingxing. Please, let me in to check on her, alright?”
It was the first time Xie Lin had ever spoken in such a submissive, pleading tone.
However, Ruan Xingzhuo only let out a cold, mocking laugh.
He said, “Go in to see my sister? With what identity, with what right? As a suitor? Or as a traitor? You’ve got some nerve—I’m the one getting annoyed for her sake!”
Xie Lin felt a tightness in his chest from Ruan Xingzhuo’s scolding.
If it had been anyone else saying this, he would have argued back immediately.
But right now, he was utterly speechless.
Chen Yu quietly watched Xie Lin get put in his place.
He didn’t exactly feel joy at his misfortune, but he couldn’t help feeling a sense of camaraderie with Ruan Xingzhuo.
Still, with Ruan Xingyao clearly refusing to communicate, what to do next was truly a headache.
Just then, the room door suddenly opened.
You Huan hurriedly poked her head out.
She had intended to find Ruan Xingzhuo, but didn’t expect three grown men to be standing at the door.
“What’s wrong?” Ruan Xingzhuo asked.
You Huan said, “It’s bad—Xingxing has a high fever. I’ve already called the hotel; they’ll deliver medicine first. If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to take her to the hospital.”
Upon hearing this, Ruan Xingzhuo no longer cared about Xie Lin or Chen Yu.
He turned and strode into the room.
— The end of the Chapter–
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